"Dark" Music

finnbow

finnbow

The Dude Abides
For reasons I can't explain, I often find myself drawn to what could be characterized as "dark" music, the stuff that exposes the bleaker side of human emotion. It can come in any genre, but I find the emotional impact very appealing.

From the Cure's Disintegration to Lucinda Williams' West to Lou Reed's New York to Dylan's Blood on the Tracks to Nick Drake's Pink Moon, I'm drawn to this stuff. Anybody else? If so, what are some of your "dark" favorites?
 
Pink Moon and BOTT are two of my favorite albums.
Chris Whitely's Perfect Day, Buddy Guy's Sweat Tea and Beck's Sea Change fit right in there too, for me.
Wilco's Summerteeth is another. It has a "light, poppy" sound to it, but the lyrics are kinda dark. Sort of like Pets Sounds. Again, to me.
 
Redboy said:
Hey finnbow, I don't recall if you're a Tom Waits fan, but Bone Machine and Mule Variations deserve a listen.

Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures comes to mind.
Click to expand...

I do like Tom Waits, but don't have either of those. I only have Joy Division's Closer and like it a lot. I'll keep an eye out for Unknown Pleasures. Good tips, RB.
 
Hey Now,

How about The Handsome Family's Through The Trees album, some pretty dark lyrics. Good stuff though.

--
Finest kind,
Chris
 
Type O Negative when I'm in a deppressive, angry mood.
Angel by Sarah McLachlan for a quick shot of melancholy.
 
Yep, I listen to a lot of bands that are considered to play darker music..

Tool, Dark Lotus and ICP, a lot of European Power Noise bands, Front 242, Bauhaus, Corpus Delecti, Skinny Puppy, Assemblage 23, Chemlab, Project Pitchfork, PIL, Severed Heads, Depeche Mode... and a lot of others..

OH, and of course Rage Against the Machine.. don't get much darker than politics.. :D
 
Oh.. if you want to check out something really strange with a very odd darkness to it, look up Mouse on Mars... I like them, but they are a very acquired taste..
 
Count me in.
Dead can Dance - pick your track.

I find that I'm attracted to complex minor chords and alternating chord patterns, such as Pink Floyd used.
Also, I almost never listen to lyrics, considering vocals as another instrument.

On the classical side, try Sibelius and Delius and Rachmaninoff's tone poem "Isle of the Dead".
 
You GOTTA' check out Scott Walker - Tilt and Scott Walker - The Drift.

I mean really, really gotta check it out.


BTW, I've never considered Blood on the Tracks or Pink Moon to be a dark albums :scratch2:..maybe others' dark is my "normal".


Oh, check out Antony and the Johnsons - I am a Bird Now too
 
I like my share of darkness as well...

The Doors (Obviously it's not all dark but there is a creep factor in their music. I think it's that "carnival" twist that comes across in Manzarek's playing.
Pain Of Salvation
Tool
Elbow (Mainly the Cast of Thousands album)
Grails
Opeth
Pink Floyd
Porcupine Tree
 
I'm reluctant to throw down a metal band because metal is often such the token dark music offering, but I have to tip my hat to The Sword. Dark, heavy...not speed metal or thrash. I like metal, but I'm no metal fanatic. I don't like thrash or cookie monster vocal stuff. The Sword got my attention because they were just sodark on every level...the chords, the vocal melodies, the structure...wow. They opened up for Metallica in Europe a few years ago and I'm sure the contrast made Metallica look like New Kids On the Block.

- Michael
 
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